{"id":8161,"date":"2021-01-10T19:40:46","date_gmt":"2021-01-11T03:40:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/?p=8161"},"modified":"2021-01-27T20:16:41","modified_gmt":"2021-01-28T04:16:41","slug":"los-altos-railway-the-altenses-dream-that-became-a-reality-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/culture\/los-altos-railway-the-altenses-dream-that-became-a-reality-2\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cLOS ALTOS RAILWAY\u201d The Altenses dream that became a reality"},"content":{"rendered":"

For Christian D\u00edaz (Second Part)<\/strong><\/p>\n

II. INAUGURATION<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thanks to the excellent German planning on March 30<\/span>th<\/span> of 1930 excitement, joy and rejoicing broke out throughout the region, as Quetzaltenango received the first trip of Los Altos Railway from the initial station in the village of San Felipe, department of Retalhuleu until culminating with honors, party, music and solemnities in the city of Quetzaltenango.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was made known as the Los Altos Railway a new railway concept, being the first in Latin America and the second in all America. Only a year ago in Vienna (Austria) a railway of the same type as Los Altos Railway had been inaugurated, so the region was placed among the highest in the vanguard of electric rail transport worldwide.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Railway of Los Altos was a great economic engine for the region because its production capacity was high and exceeded the expected profits, causing the rise in trade and production for both San Felipe and Quetzaltenango, as well as the towns where the railway stations were located.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
In image: part of the rails of the initial station of the Los Altos Railway located in the neighborhood La Democracia and Terminal de la Villa of San Felipe, department of Retalhuleu<\/span>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On March 30, 1930 was the historic first trip of Los Altos Railway that left San Felipe to Quetzaltenango, [in those days] president L\u00e1zaro Chac\u00f3n inaugurated the Railway and in several occasions Marimba music were played, outstanding the piece of \u201cEl Ferrocarril de los Altos\u201d (Los Altos Railway) of Domingo Bethancourt. Likewise, Correos de Guatemala (Mail Service Office) issued three postage stamps with images related to the Los Altos Railway.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The same day the railway brakes were put to the test on the slope near to Los Pirineos station, under the gaze of the Minister of Public Works and members of the Congress.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The route of Los Altos Railway passed through a tunnel (Santa Mar\u00eda de Jes\u00fas) (1)<\/span><\/span>\u00a09<\/span> and through eight bridges that were built for this purpose. Its journey began in the coast and ended in the highlands.<\/span><\/p>\n

The historical stations of the Railway were 10 located throughout the whole travel, in addition, those townships that had a station denoted that its trade and economic level also increase, wherefore the entire region was getting benefited.\u00a0<\/span>The stations were:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Central Station San Felipe (Initial)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Los Encuentros Station\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Los Pirineos Station\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. La Dicha Station\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Santa Mar\u00eda de Jes\u00fas Station\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Las Cuevas Station\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. Zunil Station\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  8. Cantel Station<\/span><\/li>\n
  9. Las Rosas Station\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  10. Central Station of Quetzaltenango (Final) <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    On round trips.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a>
    In image: Main and guide coach of the Los Altos Railway<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    III ABOUT THE RAILWAY<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Los Altos Electric Railway was a modern, technological marvel. It had excellent service and promised a more important advance to the region than was expected.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    It had 14 passenger and cargo wagons (2)<\/span><\/span>,<\/span> well equipped and detachable for their particular accommodation<\/span>11<\/span>, (3)<\/span> they had great travel comfort and exclusively services, however these had differences according to the value of the passage that could be high, medium and low class and were intended as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n